[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE ANNIVERSARIES OF THE SHIDOGAKUIN MARTIAL ARTS DOJO AND 
                 THE SHIDOGAKUIN WASHINGTON KENDO DOJO

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Shidogakuin 
Martial Arts Dojo on the occasion of its 30th anniversary and the 
Shidogakuin Washington Kendo Dojo (Washinkan) on its 20th Anniversary.
   Kendo, meaning ``Way of the sword,'' is a Japanese martial art 
derived from 16th Century traditional swordsmanship, using bamboo 
swords and protective armor for training. This sport is widely 
practiced throughout Japan, the United States, and many other nations 
around the world. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging 
activity that combines martial arts practices and values with strenuous 
physical activity. It is great exercise, but it also is much more than 
a sport. The purpose of practicing Kendo is to mold the mind and body, 
to cultivate a vigorous spirit, and, through correct and rigid 
training, to strive for improvement in both technique and personal 
development.
   In 1984, Mr. Shozo Kato established the Shidogakuin Kendo training 
school in New York City where both students and teachers were taught to 
learn and grow. In 1993 James Yan and Hiroaki Suzuki, with guidance 
from Shozo Kato, expanded Shidogakuin to the Washington, DC region by 
establishing a Kendo dojo at the National Institutes of Health to teach 
adults and children. The Shidogakuin Washington Kendo Dojo (Washinkan) 
is now based in Herndon, Virginia, in the 11th Congressional District.
   The goal of the Washinkan Dojo is to provide teachers with necessary 
technical skills and teaching strategies; to implement the protocols to 
create an environment of professional courtesy, honor, and mutual 
respect; to provide the facilities necessary to learn and practice; to 
create a safe, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere; to inform the 
community that there is an opportunity to learn and practice the sword 
martial arts; to prepare students for practice, competition and 
advancement testing; and to prepare students for leadership in the dojo 
and the larger community.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the 
Shidogakuin Kendo Dojo and Shozo Kato on its 30th anniversary and the 
Washinkan Dojo and James Yan on its 20th anniversary and in thanking 
them for their service to the youth in our community.

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